Redefining Success: Why I’m Done Chasing the Win

For so long, I’ve been obsessed with the idea of winning. Being the best. Pushing harder. Getting there first. But at some point, I had to ask myself… what does winning even mean?

It started with sports. It was drilled into me growing up: win at all costs. Be better than everyone else. If you aren’t first, you’re last.

But I don’t want to live like that anymore. I don’t want to be in a never-ending race to the top, because there is no top. No one stays the best forever. And if you’re always running, when do you get to enjoy the view?

Since I went to Japan in 2023 and again in 2024, almost especially in 2024, I’ve been thinking about success in a different way. Nara had a huge influence on my mindset. In one day, I climbed two mountains and enjoyed two completely different views of Nara. I didn’t do it by running to the top. I wasn’t chasing anything. I wasn’t pushing myself unbelievably hard. I stopped when I needed to, I stayed hydrated, I laughed, I cried a bit, I climbed higher and higher. I defied what people told me I could not do. I defied what I had told myself I could not do. And I reached the top. Twice.

Looking out over Nara, seeing the rains in the distance, listening to the bleating of the deer, I felt such peace and happiness. I didn’t get there because I ran myself ragged. I got there through small, incremental gains and patience.

I realized on that trip that it’s not about winning. It’s about momentum. Sprinting when I have the energy, slowing down when I need to, and making sure I actually enjoy the process. Because what’s the point of chasing a goal if I don’t even have fun along the way?

That’s something I want to bring into my art. Into my business. Into everything I create. I’m not here to "win" at making emotes or manga or whatever else I do. I’m here to create things that I love, that others love, and that bring people joy. And that feels more like success than any finish line ever could.

So, here’s to moving forward!

Not racing, not grinding myself into dust… just moving. And making cool things along the way. Thanks for joining me!